Grape harvest fears over lack of

ahead of the 2022 harvest

New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Phillip Gregan said the industry was already experiencing critical labour shortages and Wednesday’s Covid-19 update gave them little comfort.

‘‘This is creating a huge amount of concern and a high degree of frustration,’’ Gregan said.

‘‘We are now about to face the 2022 harvest, and our busiest time of year, during an Omicron outbreak.

‘‘It is still very unclear about the conditions under which winemakers and growers will be able to operate during the upcoming critical vintage period.

‘‘We will continue to work with Government and hope for further clarity on requirements,’’ Gregan said.